Brazil police probe environment minister over timber exports

Brazil’s Federal Police have carried out searches to investigate whether Environment Minister Ricardo Salles and other key figures in his ministry facilitated illegal timber exports to the U.S. and Europe

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil's Federal Police on Wednesday carried out searches to investigate whether Environment Minister Ricardo Salles and other key figures within the ministry facilitated illegal timber exports to the U.S. and Europe. The Supreme Court authorized the search of nearly three dozen locations in Sao Paulo state, the Amazonian state of Para and Brazil's federal district, according to a police statement. The operation stems from a decision of the court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the investigation of 10 officials at the ministry and the regulatory agency. Nine of them were preventatively suspended from working, including agency President Eduardo Bim — but not Salles — according to a copy of de Moraes' May 13 decision made public on Wednesday. He wrote that there appeared to be a contraband scheme with Salles' involvement.